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Broker Tour Insider Notes

As a memory aid for myself and as a resource for clients, I'm keeping notes on properties I visit. Click on the address or photo to read more about any particular property. Click here to read my blog post on the importance of broker tours.

My notes:
Modern concierge-building by Lechmere. A rental building is under construction between this building and the T stop, which I think is a good thing because it blocks noise. This unit is on 8th floor, so good views and light. Flexible flow-through floor plan: foyer => kitchen => LR/DR => bedroom => office => back to foyer. Owner is broker, owned for one year.
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My notes:
3rd floor of a 3-unit renovation. Very nicely done, with high-energy efficiency touches including insulation, heating, hot water, etc. Short walk to Inman Sq. Has a small bonus room/office in front. High cathedral-like ceilings in living room /kitchen. 2 flights of steep stairs up to this unit.
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My notes:
2nd floor of a 3-unit renovation. Very nicely done, with high-energy efficiency touches including insulation, heating, hot water, etc. Short walk to Inman Sq. Has a small bonus room/office in front.
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My notes:
Small but efficient 1-bedroom. It is directly over the Green Room, a community center, which does produce noise. Unit could use updating. Can the kitchen wall be taken down for a more open floor plan?
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My notes:
Freshly painted. Common outdoor space, can BBQ. Building has a convenient pick-up/drop-off spot, great for groceries, etc. Washer/Dryer are not included. Living room is large albeit oddly shaped; will require creative thinking to maximize use of the space. Lots of light in this end unit!
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My notes:
Gut renovation needed. On corner directly by Brookline High School. If a developer makes these into high end units, will the close proximity to the High School depress the sale prices?
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My notes:
Roof new in 2015. Tenant will be out end of August. Cute 2-bedroom. Bonus space (about 400 square feet) in basement: 2 rooms and a bathroom. Access through common space.
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My notes:
Two units for sale, one is 5 bedrooms, the other is 4 bedrooms. New development. Very vertical - from street it's two flights up to the main living level. Would benefit from an elevator.
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My notes:
I was the list agent for unit 2 (the upstairs unit) last year. This is a large space for a 2-bedroom, although the layout is unusual. Some will think of this more as a large 1+ bedroom. The real selling point is the outdoor space, with fabulous front porch and back deck. Garage parking is also a plus. Some updates, including recent oil to gas conversion for boiler, and kitchen is ten years old. Roof is older, likely at end of lifespan, but continues to hold for now.
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My notes:
Cute 2-bedroom. The current owner has over-decorated with penguins, so you need to look past that. Technically this is a lower level unit, but because it's on a hill (and many steps up from the street), it feels like first floor with plenty of light. No parking.
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My notes:
This has been on the market for approximately three months already, but the list price is finally coming down to a level where this is worth checking out. Built in 2000, it's relatively new construction. Vertical living: you enter at the garage level, walk one flight up to the main living level with the kitchen and living room, then one flight up to two bedrooms, then another flight up to the other two bedrooms. Low condo fee. It appears to be a modern townhouse/duplex in good shape. The lack of pictures on this listing does not do it justice.
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My notes:
This unit occupies the second and third floors of a converted two family. It has a private entrance, from which you walk up one flight to the main living level, where there is the kitchen, dining room, living room, a family/play room, and a bedroom. On the upper level are three more bedrooms. There is a covered parking spot, side yard, and private balcony.
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My notes:
In a historical building, this third floor unit is a spacious 1-bedroom with a deeded parking spot. This is sure to go quickly. They would probably do better if they had an open house and waited to review offers, but in this case they are trying to get it under agreement before the weekend. The unit itself has a lot of square footage for a one bedroom, and with a large bedroom and walk-in closet, and a large living room. Updated kitchen.
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My notes:
Converted from oil to gas about 5-6 years ago. Nice yard. A bit smaller and and not as updated as some of the other 3-4 bedroom houses that just hit the market, and that seems to be reflected in the price. There is a potential in-law living area in part of the basement with separate entrance. Could be a perfect starter home.
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My notes:
Great house with plenty of outdoor space, including a fenced backyard, side deck, and a balcony off the master bedroom. No garage. The kitchen is beautifully updated. They are calling this 4-bedrooms, but I would consider it more of a three bedroom with an extra room, because to get to the bedroom on the third floor you have to walk through one of the "bedrooms" on the second floor rooms. Worth a visit.
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My notes:
A nice house near Newton Centre. The floor plan starts like a traditional colonial, with entry, dining room, living room, and kitchen, but there is also an extra office room to the left, and the remodeled kitchen felt larger than expected and seems to extend out farther in back, where it leads to a deck, and a cute back yard. In the basement is the garage access into a mudroom with washer and dryer, a family room, and a bedroom and bathroom. (One of the 4 bedrooms is in the basement as an au pair suite). The house is on a slope, which is why the attached garage enters the house at the basement level. The master bathroom is on the small side. The windows are the old double-hung style.
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My notes:
Built in 1983 and has undergone several renovations and additions since then, including finishing the basement and a small second kitchen down there. The spacious floor plan includes plenty of entertaining and living space on the main level. The locals call this street by its acronym, ORNAC. On a large lot (1.89 acres), it is mostly forested, and has trails leading to hiking trails in the conservation area. Plenty of parking too, with a three car attached garage. The back decks and hot tub round out this outstanding house.
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My notes:
The front yard is a brick patio, and is semi-private because there is a fence separating from the sidewalk. This unit is one flight up. 1 bedroom is on the main level, and the other two bedrooms are on the upper level.
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My notes:
This unit is 1 floor up. The dining area has beautiful large picture windows. On the top level there is a skylight above the stairway. For outdoor space, apparently the roof of the garage is deeded to this unit, so possibly new owners might be able to add a staircase or some way to get to get to it. The front yard is deeded to the other unit, and the side patio is common.
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My notes:
This townhouse is very vertical living. On the entry floor is a bedroom and half bath. Then you walk up a flight to the main living level. On the main living level, there is the living room, a small office nook, and then the kitchen and dining room are on a platform elevated another three steps. There is one more level up, which has the two bedrooms and full baths. If you don't mind the stairs, this is a neat unit, and the private patio area out back is very nice. No basement. Garage parking.
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My notes:
It is 2-bedrooms, but the square footage in the living room and dining room is substantial and possibly a third bedroom could be carved out of that. Not only is it across from a park, the complex also has a private yard with a picnic table. The windows looked older. The condo rules specify what you can use as replacements. The washer and dryer, as well as the chandelier, are not included (but are negotiable). Parking is rental around the corner (Parkman St.).
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Note: Information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. I fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Information is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.